Out of the Blue

Stir above ingredients with ice and pour into glass rinsed with absinthe. Garnish with dollop of vanilla-infused whipped cream.

If you look at the image, it should be obvious that I went pretty literal for a song title that is figurative to the character. Still, I had the beautiful color of the Magellan gin and wanted to play off of that. The vermouth adds a little sweetness, but not cloyingly so. In fact, I wanted just a little more so added the vanilla liqueur (you could use a syrup instead, or, if you like your drinks drier, just skip it altogether). The orange flower water is subtle, but I felt a nice touch.

Originally I had used an alcohol-infused vanilla whipped cream. I couldn’t find it when remaking this drink (which I am glad for — I thought it was a very odd ingredient) so I simply whipped up some cream of my own with a little confectioner’s sugar and vanilla. It’s a fun effect but doesn’t do anything for the drink, so feel free leaving it off.

Of course, you could say the cloud foreshadows the events of the party. Best leave it in.